FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024, AT 10:00 A.M. EDT

Data Inquiries Economic Indicators Division, Retail Indicator Branch: (301) 763-2713 CB24-76

Media Inquiries Public Information Office: (301) 763-3030 

QUARTERLY RETAIL E-COMMERCE SALES

1

st QUARTER 2024

The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the first

quarter of 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation, but not for price changes, was $289.2 billion, an increase of 2.1 percent (±0.7%)

from the fourth quarter of 2023. Total retail sales for the first quarter of 2024 were estimated at $1,820.0 billion, a decrease of 0.1

percent (±0.4%)* from the fourth quarter of 2023. The first quarter 2024 e-commerce estimate increased 8.6 percent (±1.1%) from 

the first quarter of 2023 while total retail sales increased 1.5 percent (±0.5%) in the same period. E-commerce sales in the first

quarter of 2024 accounted for 15.9 percent of total sales.

On a not adjusted basis, the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the first quarter of 2024 totaled $268.1 billion, a decrease 

of 17.0 percent (±0.7%) from the fourth quarter of 2023. The first quarter 2024 e-commerce estimate increased 8.5 percent (±1.1%) 

from the first quarter of 2023 while total retail sales increased 2.8 percent (±0.5%) in the same period. E-commerce sales in the first

quarter of 2024 accounted for 15.6 percent of total sales.

Estimated Quarterly U.S. Retail E-commerce Sales as a Percent of Total Quarterly Retail Sales:

 1

st Quarter 2015 – 1st Quarter 2024

Percent of Total

The Quarterly Retail E-Commerce sales estimate for the second quarter of 2024 is scheduled for release on August 19, 2024 at 

10:00 A.M. EDT.

For information, including estimates from 4th quarter 1999 forward, visit the Census Bureau’s Web site at 

<http://www.census.gov/retail>. For additional information about Census Bureau e-business measurement programs and plans 

visit <https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/e-stats.html>.

* The 90% confidence interval includes zero. The Census Bureau does not have sufficient statistical evidence to conclude that the 

actual change is different from zero.

Notice of Revision: Quarterly retail e-commerce estimates were revised based on the results of the 2022 Annual Retail Trade 

Survey. For the full Adjusted and Not Adjusted estimates Time Series, see https://www.census.gov/retail/ecommerce.html. 
Table 1. Estimated Quarterly U.S. Retail Sales: Total and E‐commerce1

(Estimates are based on data from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey and administrative records. Unless otherwise specified, all estimates are

revised based on the 2022 Annual Retail Trade Survey.) .

E‐commerce

as a Percent

Quarter of

Total E‐commerce Total Total E‐commerce   Total E‐commerce

Adjusted2

1st quarter 2024(p) 1,820,022 289,204 15.9 ‐0.1 2.1 1.5 8.6

4th quarter 2023 1,821,361 283,293 15.6 0.6 1.3 3.1 10.0

3rd quarter 2023 1,811,128 279,739 15.4 1.3 2.5 2.4 9.5

2nd quarter 2023 1,787,398 272,821 15.3 ‐0.3 2.4 0.7 8.5

1st quarter 2023 1,792,376 266,314 14.9 1.5 3.4 3.5 7.6

Not Adjusted

1st quarter 2024(p) 1,718,447 268,118 15.6 ‐9.2 ‐17.0 2.8 8.5

4th quarter 2023 1,892,581 322,862 17.1 4.3 20.1 2.8 9.8

3rd quarter 2023 1,815,346 268,745 14.8 ‐0.3 1.5 2.2 9.6

2nd quarter 2023 1,820,322 264,857 14.6 8.9 7.2 0.6 8.5

1st quarter 2023 1,671,884 247,176 14.8 ‐9.2 ‐15.9 3.5 7.7

Retail Sales Percent Change Percent Change

(millions of dollars) From Prior Quarter From Same Quarter

A Year Ago

(p) Preliminary estimate. (r) Revised estimate.

1 E‐commerce sales are sales of goods and services where the buyer places an order, or the price and terms of the sale are negotiated over an Internet, mobile

device (M‐commerce), extranet, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) network, electronic mail, or other comparable online system. Payment may or may not be

made online. 2 Estimates are adjusted forseasonal variation, but notfor price changes. Totalsales estimates are also adjusted fortrading‐day differences and moving holidays.

Note: Table 2 provides estimated measures of sampling variability. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, sample

design, and definitions,see http://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/how_surveys_are_collected.html.

Table 2. Estimated Measures of Sampling Variability for Quarterly U.S. Retail Sales Estimates: Total and E‐ commerce   (Estimates are shown as percents and are based on data from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey.)

Standard Error

(SE) for

Quarter E‐commerce

as a Percent

Total E‐commerce of Total Total E‐commerce Total E‐commerce

1st quarter 2024(p) 0.8 1.8 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.6

4th quarter 2023 0.7 1.9 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.6

3rd quarter 2023 0.7 2.0 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.5

2nd quarter 2023 0.7 1.9 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.7

1st quarter 2023 0.7 1.8 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.8

  From Prior Quarter A Year Ago

Coefficient of SE for SE for Percent Change

Variation (CV)     Percent Change From Same Quarter

(p) Preliminary estimate.  (r) Revised estimate. (Z) Estimate islessthan 0.05%.

Note: Estimated measures of sampling variability are based on data not adjusted for seasonal variation, trading‐day differences, or moving holidays, and are used to make confidence statements about both adjusted and not adjusted estimates. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error,

nonsampling error,sample design, and definitions,see http://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/how_surveys_are_collected.html.
Survey Description

Retail e‐commerce sales are estimated from the same sample used forthe Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS) to estimate preliminary

and final U.S.retailsales. Advance U.S.retailsales are estimated from a subsample of the MRTS sample that is not of adequate size to

measure changesin retail e‐commerce sales.

A stratified simple random sampling method is used to select approximately 10,800 retail firms excluding food services whose

sales are then weighted and benchmarked to represent the complete universe of over two million retail firms. The MRTS

sample is probability based and represents all employerfirms engaged in retail activities as defined by the North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS). Coverage includes all retailers whether or not they are engaged in e‐commerce. Online travel

services, financial brokers and dealers, and ticket sales agencies are not classified as retail and are not included in either the

total retail or retail e‐commerce sales estimates. Nonemployers are represented in the estimatesthrough benchmarking to prior

annualsurvey estimatesthatinclude nonemployersales based on administrative records.  E‐commerce sales are included in the total

monthly sales estimates.

The MRTS sample is updated on an ongoing basisto account for new retail employer businesses(including those selling via the

Internet), business deaths, and other changesto the retail business universe.  Firms are asked each month to report e‐commerce sales

separately. For each month ofthe quarter, data for nonresponding sampling units are imputed from responding sampling unitsfalling

within the same kind of business and salessize category or based on historical performance of that company. Responding firms account

for approximately 71 percent of the e‐commerce sales estimate and about 71 percent of the estimate of U.S.retailsalesfor any

quarter.  

For each month of the quarter, estimates are obtained by summing weighted sales (either reported or imputed). The monthly

estimates are benchmarked to prior annual survey estimates. Estimates for the quarter are obtained by summing the monthly

benchmarked estimates. The estimate for the most recent quarter is a preliminary estimate.Therefore,theestimateissubjectto

revision.  Data users who create their own estimates using data from this report should cite the Census Bureau as the source of

the input data only.

The Census Bureau has reviewed this data product to ensure appropriate access, use, and disclosure avoidance protection of

the confidential source data (Project No. P‐7504206, Disclosure Review Board (DRB) approval number:  CBDRB‐FY24‐0003).

Adjusted Estimates

This report publishes estimates that have been adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading‐day differences, but

not for price changes.  We used quarterly e‐commerce sales estimates for 4th quarter 1999 to the current quarter as input to

the X‐13ARIMA‐SEATS program to derive the adjusted estimates.  For sales, we derived quarterly adjusted estimates by

summing adjusted monthly sales estimates for each respective quarter. Seasonal adjustment of estimates is an approximation

based on current and past experiences.

The X‐13ARIMA‐SEATS software improves upon the X‐12 ARIMA seasonal adjustment software by providing enhanced

diagnostics as well as incorporating an enhanced version of the Bank of Spain’s SEATS (Signal Extraction in ARIMA Time Series)

software, which uses an ARIMA model‐based procedure instead of the X‐11 filter‐based approach to estimate seasonal

factors.  The X‐13ARIMA‐SEATS and X‐12 ARIMA software produce identical results when using X‐13ARIMA‐SEATS with the X‐ 11 filter‐based adjustments.  The X‐13ARIMA‐SEATS software and additional information on the X‐13ARIMA‐SEATS program

may be found at https://www.census.gov/data/software/x13as.html.

Note that the retail estimates continue to be adjusted using the X‐11 filter‐based adjustment procedure.

Reliability of Estimates

Because the estimatesin thisreport are based on a sample survey, they contain sampling error and nonsampling error.   

Sampling erroristhe difference between the estimate and the result that would be obtained from a complete enumeration of the

population conducted underthe same survey conditions.  This error occurs because only a subset of the entire population is measured

in a sample survey.   Standard errors and coefficients of variation, as given in Table 2 ofthisreport, are estimated measures ofsampling

variation.

The margin of error, as used on page 1, gives a range about the estimate which is a 90 percent confidence interval.  If, for example, the

estimated percent change is ‐11.4% and its estimated standard error is 1.2%, then the margin of error is

±1.753 x 1.2% or 2.1%, and the 90 percent confidence interval is ‐13.5% to ‐9.3%.  Confidence intervals are computed based

on the particular sample selected and canvassed.  If one repeats the process of drawing all possible samples and forming all

corresponding confidence intervals, approximately 90 percent of these individual confidence intervals would contain the

estimate computed from a complete enumeration of all units on the sampling frame.  If the confidence interval contains 0%,

then one does not have sufficient evidence to conclude at the 90 percent confidence level that the change is different from

zero.

Nonsampling error encompasses all other factors that contribute to the total error of a sample survey estimate.  This type of

error can occur because of nonresponse, insufficient coverage of the universe of retail businesses with e‐commerce sales,

mistakes in the recording and coding of data, and other errors of collection, response, coverage, or processing.  Although not

directly measured, precautionary steps are taken to minimize the effects of nonsampling error.